The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-08-24
Effects of the DrOuth.

The drouth in the great corn belt in
the West has been followed by general
rains, but it is admitted that they came
too late to cause much improvement in
the injured crops. There is consider
able difference of opinion in regard to
probable effects of the short crops.
Dun's review of the situation states
that the aggregate loss of the farmers
will exceed $500, 100000. 1t also says:
"a difference is inevitable in the pur-
chases of manufactured and imported
goods by the Northwest. If prices had
not been inflated by a real estate boom
and if new Indebtedness of enormous
volume had not been created loss of
even tenth of the entire value of
farm products would make little differ
ence. But the wild speculation in
lands and town lots, the expenditure of
many hundred millions in new build
ings and the permanent investment of
large sums in new railroads and man.
ufacturing works render partial loss
of crops more important"
The Tribune makes the following
rough estimate of the extent of losses
sustained: According to the reports
loss in condition of about seventeen
per cent appears in the entire corn
crop, which would represent not far
from 100000, 900. The continuing
drouth may make the loss even greater.
If the estimate is rightly understood,
the injury to the hay crop may be
reckoned at $4,000, 900, but it is i'm
possible to determine how considerable
the losses will be through failure of
food for animals and of the milk sup
ply. The value of meats consumed
annually is roughly estimated at $780,
100000 and of dairy products at $780,
600 900. and serious losses in these i'm
portant branches of production would
fall heavily upon farmers in many To-
calities. Reckoning also loss of one
fifth in the yield of potatoes and fruit,
three per cent in cotton and further
losses in wheat and tobacco, it may be
assumed that the drouth will have cost
the farmers at least $500, 100000, per-
haps seven per cent of their annual
product, besides whatever losses they
sustain in animal and dairy products"
OF course this loss will be in part COM
pensated by an advance in prices re-
allied for the remaining crops; but for
farmers who have lost everything there
is no such compensation.
The Philadelphia Press thinks, iudg-
ing from all reports, that in this years
corn crop "the loss east of the Missis-
sippi is so nearly balanced by gains
west of that river that the aggregate
may not be altered. The wheat crop is
now certain to be the smallest in this
country for several years, just as the
European crop will be the largest. The
region covered by the drouth is one of
the great centers of the meat supply of
the country, and any large pork crop
the pack for the summer is decidedly
below last years. rendered out of the
question. Light cereal and provision
exports in the coming year are now
altogether probable, barring the ever
possible European war. These causes
will reduce very largely the eastward
bound freight movement of the trunk
lines, whose earnings will begin to
show falling off from September on.
In the three cereal crops-corn, wheat
and oats-the farmers of this country
cultivate u 600, 900 acres more this year
than in 1880 and do not raise bushel
more of grain and receive, compar-
ing current quotations with the value
in 1880, 5000, 100000 less for what they
raise. The profits of farming and the
increase in railroad earnings will this
year be at the South, where crop of
1000, 900 bales of cotton is likely, and
the demand from mills is certain to be
early and large. The opinion is eX-
pressed in some quarters that as the
European demand for wheat will be
some 20,000,000 bushels less than last
year; the corn crop, taking the country
as whole, fair average, and the
oat crop is a large one, that continu-
ance of low prices for food and fodder
may be looked for. However this may
be, ii is certain that one effect will be a
lessened demand for manufactured and
imported goods.